Post navigation

August 2014, the 5ten introduced the HiAngles at Summer ORshow. I had reviewed a pair of the 5ten Rogues, and I was so impressed with the stickiness of the rubber, and the performance of a flat shoe, that when I was asked to test a pair of the HiAngles I jumped at the chance. Mostly because I absolutely love the stealth rubber the 5ten uses, but also because the HiAngles have more of a downturn toe, and are definitely a more aggressive pair of shoes than the Rogues.

Bowling Ball v4 – Joes Valley PC: Jordan Katter

Their performance is absolutely stunning. Being that I am primarily a Boulderer/Sport Climber, who climbs a lot in the gym. The shoes are a perfect fit for my style. In fact the only issue i have with the HiAngles is they use the same blue leather that the Rogues use. Which means after a nice session at the gym, or on a hot sweaty day your feet will be died a nice Smurf blue color.

There is literally nothing about the shoe that I am not impressed with as far as performance goes. They heel hook amazing, the edging performance is ideal for thin face climbing. The downturn toe works amazing on super steep Boulder problems, and the love bump is ideal for a great toe drag/hook keeping complete control. The fit is pretty much true to size, in fact I found you do not need to size down a size or even a half-size. It pulls on like a slipper, but has one Velcro strap on the top making it extra secure as time goes on. Because we all know that slippers tend to loosen up a bit after a lot of use.

Twisted v4 – LCCPC: Jordan Katter

I’ve used these shoes in all kinds of terrain. The gym, Bouldering on sandstone and granite, sport climbing on limestone and Quartz. And I really did a quality test on them. Not just using them for a month and slam out a review. No, I’ve had them for the better part of a year. And I can honestly say, these the best shoes I have ever had. I LOVE THE HIANGLES!!

Kellys Arete v5 – Joes ValleyPC: Haley Dahle

With a $150 price point. They are $30 cheaper than most aggressive shoes. And have Stealth rubber… What are you waiting for? I’ve even seen them online for as low as $120. You should feel guilty about paying that price.

What I liked: Pretty much everything! The rubber, comfort, the look, the fit. And the adjustable Velcro strap giving more foot control.

What I disliked: Simple, they dye your feet blue.. (Not really that big a deal)

Smurf FeetPC: Haley Dahle

Overall: Best shoes I’ve ever owned. And I’ve owned many different brands and style in my near 20 years climbing. Aggressive, yet comfortable. Edging control, without sacrificing steep movement. They should have called these shoes the 5ten Beta…

Disclosure:

I am not currently an ambassador for 5ten. I was asked to review a these HiAngles as an independent blogger. I received this product for free, in return I agreed to test it and review it. In no way did this offer influence my review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine aloneReview

Like this:

Over the past six months or so, I’ve had a lot of time to think and contemplate a few things. Like whether or not I wanted to continue blogging. Or pushing for ambassadorship was still worth all the time spent doing so? Even gear reviews were just feeling so overwhelming. I was feeling like there was too much to do, not enough time to do it, and I wasn’t all together sure that the payoff was worth it anymore.

PC: Ofa Fonua

I know what you’re thinking. If I felt this way, why not make it fun again? Or why not just quit? Why say anything at all? Put it in writing no less? Maybe companies would shy away from me. Not want me to be part of their team, give me gear reviews. I mean why be Syked on someone who’s no longer Syked on the industry…? The industry that I love. All the amazing people. The outstanding companies. Why would I be feeling this way?

I’m not trying to sound unappreciative of these opportunities. I just realized I got caught up in all there was to offer. And forgot why I began down this road in the first place. It all boils down to one thing. My battle with depression and the feeling of self-doubt. Yes, I have fought a battle with depression for as long as I can remember. And the absolute BEST medicine for me is friends, family, people I love to be around. Doing the things I love. That is being outside, fresh air, living what the industry represents.

Group HugPC: Jordan Katter

I felt I was working more than having fun. This has become a job I clock my time card in everyday. Like I had to make good that I was “doing something” “getting outside”. HEY! Look at me! I’m outdoors. Rather than experiencing. I wanted to do Epic Shit! Not talk about doing Epic Shit. I want to push my limits. Strive to go farther. Be bolder. Live… I want to truly live. And it made me sad. Sad that I was climbing and adventuring to impress, to get noticed, so I could prove I was doing stuff.

It’s nothing anyone else made me feel, not like I was pressured by companies or anything. It’s just the way my mind works. It’s like that old book “Don’t sweat the small stuff”. None of it seems small to me. I see an obstacle, and it looks like a boulder. Funny thing is, outside that Boulder looks “climbable”.

PC: Brandy Wilkins

I just didn’t want the things I love to become nothing but work. I already have a job, this was supposed to be my fun time. So I stopped writing, and started focusing on what brought me to this industry. My passion… I began training, climbing, and dropping into slot canyons. I bought a road bike, a long board and traveled. Sometimes alone, sometimes with my boys and sometimes with friends. I began learning about photography, navigation and regained my Syke.

I had a moment of clarity. Realizing how much I love talking about my adventures with people, I might as well write about them, share them. It’s time to dust off the old blog and start writing again. I hope my readers are still looking forward to viewing it. The future includes trip reports through slot canyons, Canada and climbing. Training, on how I built my climbing woodie and training center in my garage. Gear reviews and maybe even some recipes. So keep reading, and I’ll start writing again.

Share this:

Like this:

We left California behind and moved north up the coast of Oregon. Said to be one of the most beautiful drives in all the continental US. And though I haven’t driven much around the eastern US, this certainly is worth putting on a bucket list. Every bend makes for such majestic views, the urge to stop is overwhelming.

Nature and Industry

I intentionally scheduled this portion of our trip to stretch out over about 3 days. This way I wouldn’t have to drive more than 100 – 150 miles a day and we could enjoy the coast. This still was not enough time. So many view points, state parks, and sites to see. Unfortunately, I was not able to stop and see them all. I guess that’s a good excuse to go back?

Words to live by… PC: Caelan Riggins

I wanted to make it to our campground before the sun went down. Get set up, find something to eat and enjoy the sunset over the water. After all, we were staying in Sunset Bay State Park. I figured that name had to have some sort of meaning. What an amazing spot to watch the tide roll in as the sun kisses the horizon. Super clean campgrounds with showers (if you like that kinda thing), and nicely secluded sites. When we woke up, we had time, so we decided to explore more of the park. After scanning the map the ranger gave me, I was intrigued to hike up to some WW2 bunkers. And what a pay off it was. Literally one of my favorite parts of our entire vacation. This place is a gold mine and I HIGHLY recommend a visit just for an evening sunset and morning hike to the bunkers. It’s a 1/2 mile hike at sea level and we were the only ones there the entire time. Also, Nonnie’s Breakfast Barn is totally worth stopping in for a bite. Awesome service and food, the breakfast is priced great and is amazing.

Sunset Bay State Park

We continued on north up the coast seeing so many rock lined shores. Stopping at the Sea Lion Caves, an obvious tourist trap. But my boys really wanted to see it. And though it was cool, I wouldn’t recommend spending the $15 per person for a 30 minute cave drop. So much more to see off the beaten path. That evening we were staying in a beach side (literally) hotel. So we checked in and the boys immediately put on the swim trunk grabbed towels and bolted for the icy waters of the upper pacific. I decided it was a good time to relax and watch from the window as Kemry buried Caelan in the sand.

The little Dude loves the water… No matter how cold

Unfortunately, the third day was the 4th of July. Normally this would seem awesome, except I scheduled us to be in Portland area that night, so stopping to see fireworks wasn’t really an option. And traffic was so bad, I didn’t even dare pull over in many places. When I did stop at Canon Beach, the place was packed with about 300+ people. So we pushed on to the farthest north point of the Oregon coast. Stopping in Hammond at Fort Stevens State Park to see the Shipwreck on the beach. A gem I never knew anything about. And another great example of how Mother Nature reclaims what is hers.

Kemry at the Shipwreck

We stopped in Astoria long enough to see “The Goonies” house, which is easy to find and they welcome walk up sight seeing. If you grew up the 80’s, you certainly understand my reasons for stopping. Caelan even asked where all the “booty trap” stuff in the front yard was? When you look at it, you can definitely still see a resemblance. We didn’t have much time to spend in Astoria, so we cruised on to Vancouver, Washington. It’s just across the Columbia river from Portland, and was a lot more affordable to stay in a nice hotel on the river front. Where we could watch the fireworks from that evening. they even had a live band, BBQ and a beer garden.

The Goondocks! The actual house that GOONIES was filmed in

The next morning, we would cross the river and head towards the Gorge…

Like this:

When my two boys and I set out for the NorCal/Oregon coast, I myself was so excited to see everything that I had planned for the trip. A 11 day vacation with so much crammed into it, I wasn’t sure how the timing would work out. Pretty notorious for planning way too much in too little time.

Brothers looking over the glass beach in Ft. Bragg

The first day was mostly just driving. We took the long haul from SLC to Reno, and crashed there for the evening. You can usually find a decent room at a casino for like $35 a night. And it had a pool, so the boys enjoyed that. Even if the pools chlorine content was about 50% I swear. About burn my eyes out of their sockets.

Kemry looking at all the glass the sea formed into rounded stones

The following morning we still had quite a bit of driving to get to our next stay. With a quick stop in Truckee for breakfast. Kemry got a breakfast burrito there that was as big as his head… And he has a pretty big head. We went straight across middle California. I remember passing through a town called Clearlake that looked pretty rad. Houses built right on the edge of the lake. Everyone had their very own dock. Seemed like such chill living with mountain air and cool fresh water breeze in the morning. We pressed on to Fort Bragg to see the glass beach. Another amazing little fishing town. The main attraction is the glass beach which was once an old garbage dump. It’s easy to find through google and worth visiting. The sea turned the trash over many decades, forming the glass into rounded stones like clear smooth pearls. I wondered if the sand would eventually return itself..?

Caelan is my little tree hugger

As we ventured further up the coast, we passed through the Northern California Redwoods. I had such fond memories of this area from my youth. Remembering two separate vacations in which I had previously passed through. I was so excited to share this with the two people who mean the most to me. We hiked the Tall Tree Grove. An amazing 3 mile loop where we saw the worlds first and second tallest tree. We also took the trail through the Trees of Mystery. Which now has a small tram to some awesome views, and a 1 mile steep hike down if you choose to descend in that fashion. You will see some of the most unusual trees on the planet. The Northern California coast line has a unique environment. Many of which can not be seen anywhere else in the world. Raising the question, ‘How does that happen?’ A question that we would contemplate quite a bit more in the following week as we traveled the Oregon coast.

Share this:

Like this:

Kemry testing the water curability of these Adidas Outdoor Terrex Scope in Oneonta Gorge Oregon

As some of you have known, I have been getting more familiar with gear reviewed as of late. And though at times it gets hectic and a bit overwhelming when you take on more products than you might be able to handle. But it still makes for a great reason to go out and adventure.

California Redwoods NP

So when Adidas Outdoor sent me a pair of the Terrex Scope GTX shoes, I was more than happy to test them out. After all, Adidas Outdoor just purchased 5Ten. And you know how much I love 5Ten. See how these things hold up. When I first got them, I thought the fit was a little big, but would be ok once I had a thicker sock like some of my wool hiking socks. But after a few days of wearing them around, I realized they were much too big and would only get worse when completely broken in. So I passed them off onto my oldest son Kemry to test them out and give me his feedback. I know that sounds weird, but the kid is already as tall as I am. And his feet are about a size larger than mine, so it worked out ok. And I didn’t think it would be a good idea to try to exchange them once I had already used them a bit.

Great sticky STEALTH rubber

So I had Kemry bring them along on our west coast trip. That way he could give them some good miles in Redwood NP, throughout Oregon’s state parks on the coast, the Gorge, and Crater Lake. It felt like a good variety of terrain. Between the sandy coast, the tree and mountains in NorCal/Central Oregon and water hikes of the Gorge. We even got in a desert hike in Smith Rock up Misery ridge.

Checking out how they handle the desert element at Smith Rock

I have to say, judging by the appearance the shoes after the trip, they have held up nicely. Of course only time will tell on that on. But any one who has children knows how hard they on them and if they last 6 months it would be a new record for my son. These particular shoes are made with GORE-TEX but are fairly breathable. And come in Black/Blue and a Black/Green color combinations. The fit does seem to be a bit large, and they have a protective toe rand that is suitable for scrambling approaches. When I asked him how they performed, he said “They were great”…? I had to remind myself I was dealing with a youth. So questioned needed to be more yes/no. So I asked him a series of questions, and got, um… Better answers.

Were they comfortable? YES

Did they fit your feet? YES

Do you like the style? They’re ok looking

Was the Stealth rubber sticky? I didn’t slip when hiking through the water

He must have liked these, he wore them almost everywhere

Overall, what did you think of them? They made me like Adidas more…Explanation: This kid is a high school football player. He thinks the world revolves around the BIG 2 shoe apparel companies in that field.

Likes: These shoes have the ABSOLUTE BEST rubber in my opinion Stealth rubber (same as on 5Ten shoes). Very athlete with a cutting edge look. Appearance might not be for everyone. Drained very well when we hiked through ankle to waist deep water in Oneonta Gorge.

Dislikes: Short shoelaces. Hard to double knot them. Constantly kept untying due to this. Low to mid top, so not great ankle support for steep down hill hikes. Looks might be too cutting edge and modern for some.

Overall: Good overall approach shoe. Awesome for scrambling over rocks, and walking across wet stones with amazing sticky rubber. And personally, I like the look.

Price – Around $160

Disclosure:

I am not currently an ambassador for Adidas Outdoor. I was asked to review a couple of articles as an independent blogger. I received this product for free, in return I agreed to test it and review it. In no way did this offer influence my review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone

Like this:

About a month ago I awoke on my 37th birthday and decided I was going to go summit a Mount Raymond. So I threw on my Vasque Grand Traverse approach shoes and figured today was as good a day as any to put these comfy and stylish neon green shoes to the test. I checked the weather, on a 30% chance of showers. So I filled my pack and set out on a 11 mileBirthday adventure.

All the way to the summit these things were great. My feet felt awesome, no blisters, traction was great. And let’s face it, I looked pretty damn good. In my head I was thinking what an awesome approach shoes. If these things can handle a summit, my short 1 mile climbing approaches will be nothing. And then disaster struck.

The Grand Traverse work great on the MTB as well

It began to rain, and it began to rain hard. Thundering, lightning and pretty much a torrential downpour. The trail quickly dissipated, and my footing became extremely unsure. The traction wasn’t enough to handle the thick, slippery mud. And the fact that these shoes are a low/mid top made the ankle support not ideal for the conditions. This trail is less than flat in some spots and runs on a downward sloping grade for long portions. And I did lose my footing quite a bit, even going down on my rear once.

Having said that, I believe these mis-performance issues were mostly user error. I think these shoes would be great on any short approach as I have used them quite a few times heading to the climbing crag. Even on a long ascent, so long as you don’t encounter thunderstorms. The main hike I tested these on is very hard, so much so, that I encountered no one until I was less than a mile back to my car. These shoes are great for river crossing (I’ve tried) and were short climbing approaches are required. Just want deeper traction when trudging through thick mud. But they did great the entire way up, and the ridge line of this hike is literally scrambling up a rock ridge that was wet. Because the weather came in as I was approaching the summit.

Likes: These things are light weight, comfortable and look great. They have Vibram rubber on the soles and those who climb rocks know this stuff is awesome. The inner lining is moisture wicking so my feet stayed dry (until the rain). They also are easy to remove water when they get wet I found out.

Dislikes: Laces need to be a little bit longer. I like to double knot my shoes so they don’t untie. These I can barely get a double on. I do prefer a high top shoe, but warming up to the mids.

Overall: Great shoe for short climbing approaches. Awesome for rock scrambling and river crossing. Even good for summits that aren’t deep snow or really muddy. Not awesome for thick mud, because traction isn’t super deep. Ultra comfortable, I will wear these quite a bit.

I am not currently an ambassador for Vasque. I was asked to review a couple articles as an independent blogger. I received this product for free, in return I agreed to test it and review it. In no way did this offer influence my review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone

See the weather looked good when the hike started

Share this:

Like this:

Anyone who climbs with me knows what a fan I am of Kuhl clothing (that’s pronounced cool, and it’s German for cool). I find their pants to be the absolute best when it comes to climbing. So last winter ORshow I made an appointment with them. I was really hoping to make a long-lasting friendship, as well as see what awesome new products they had coming out. I was not disappointed one bit. They offered to send me a few articles to review, I jumped at the chance. You see, I already owned 2 pairs of their Krux shorts, and 2 pairs of their pants. I didn’t need convincing that their stuff was quality as well as comfortable. But wasn’t going to pass up a chance to see what their shirts were all about. Generously, they agreed to send me 2 shirts and another pair of pants.

First off, the long sleeve button down Wunderer:

What an awesome shirt. Easily my favorite button down I have ever owned. SERIOUSLY! I absolutely love this shirt, and I wasn’t the only one. Both my father and brother-in-law told me they wanted one. Easy enough Christmas gift. The sleeves are conveniently rolled up with button straps to keep them up. It is 100% nylon and under the arms is a stylish, yet breathable mesh that allows you to stay comfortable even in hot weather. With UPF 50 and a security pocket that zips up. Not to mention the awesome choice of the color white. This shirt would look great on the beach, in the backyard BBQ, on a cruise or nice day hike. It comes in 4 different colors: White, Carbon, Pirate Blue and Khaki. Retails for $70.

The Goondocks! The actual house that GOONIES was filmed in

Likes: EVERYTHING! Seriously, I love this shirt, and I highly recommend it to every guy looking to add a little casual style to their wardrobe. And you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for mature styling.

Dislikes: NOTHING! Maybe that the white color will eventually get stained. I only say that because I took it hiking in the rain, and the green leaves began to run. But I was able to get that out of the shirt. But easy enough, don’t buy white. I will of-course wear the heck out of mine until that day comes.

Overall: An awesome and smart purchase even at the price. You will not regret it. Style and sophistication added to your look, what a small price for that beauty.Second the Renegade pants:

The Kuhl Renegade pants work great for belaying too

About a year ago, I was comfort shopping at REI. Just browsing around, looking for a reason to drop more money on some gear I may or may not have even needed. I found a pair of Kuhl pants on the discount rack. They were the perfect size, the material felt awesome and they seemed to be impeccable for climbing. Durability, with just the right amount of stretch, so I bought them. Immediately, I fell in love.

When Kuhl asked if I would be interested in reviewing some clothing, I couldn’t say no. Naturally, I wasn’t disappointed. I found the Renegade pants to be just as awesome for climbing and long distance hiking when it’s a bit Kuhl out (see what I did there). Honestly, I haven’t found a better pant for climbing. Also great for just lounging around the house, or getting some yard work done.

It has multiple pockets even one specifically for your cellphone. With the durable stretchy Tufflex fabric (developed by Kuhl). It’s quick drying with UPF 50, and a perfect fit. Kuhlair vent system keeping your skin Kuhl. Made from nylon and spandex. And comes in 4 great colors: Carbon, Khaki, Brown and Breen. Retails for $79

Likes: Comfortable… I mean REALLY comfortable. The stretch-ability is great, and the fit is amazing. And they look extremely stylish. Super light weight.

Dislikes: There’s not much here. The price could be a little more affordable, but I would pay it anyway for these pants. Only bad thing I can say is the interior button came off after a about 10 uses.

Overall: I would buy these pants over and over again. Kuhl has gotten these exactly right.

Super stretchy

Share this:

Like this:

A little over a week ago, I was able to attend two nights of the Psicobloc competition in Park City, Utah. It was such an amazing way to close out the evenings after ORshow, I got Psico fever. I became obsessed with the idea of climbing on the wall. I mean what could actually be cooler than climbing a wall up to 35′ (that’s as far as the organizers will allow the public to go), and then just falling off into the water. WHAT A RUSH!

Jude topping out

So after a few failed attempts to actually make it up to PC and get on the wall, I was able to talk my good friend Jude into going. So her, Tim (Jude’s BF), Erica (Jude’s friend) and I all decided to go up on Sunday. And although it was a little bit busy, after all it was the weekend. It was also extremely hot, about 95° outside. Which turned out to be quite nice when you took the 35′ plunge into the water..

CrimpingPC: Jude Engracia

Taking the BIG plungePC: Jude Engracia

The pool itself is only 12′ deep and I did manage to touch the bottom of the water when I fell once. But there’s really no danger if you control the fall. The wall itself has all levels of climbing on it. Everything from beginner to advanced. And there is one route most everyone can top out, as well as a few that will challenge some of the most advanced climbers.

Jude in BEASTMODE

When we got there, we decided to get warmed up so we all took a lap on the 5.8, and began to work our way up to the higher grades. It seemed as though having about 10 people in line ahead of us was the perfect rotation. Plenty of rest time, but we could still stay warmed up. After out second lap up, Jude had a little trouble making her back to the pool edge. I’m not really sure what happened, but it seems when you take the plunge, it disorients you a bit. Somehow you end up inhaling a little water, and it’s really hard to kick paddle with rock climbing shoes on.

Jude taking the BIG plunge

This is an account of what happened in Jude’s words: “I practiced walking off a diving board that whole week, but simply falling from 15 ft is nothing compared to the Psicobloc experience: climbing, being out of breath, and then falling from 35 ft high and having to tread and swim in climbing shoes. Instead of falling and quickly popping back up like I had done in my practices at the rec center, Psicobloc makes you feel like you’re falling forever. I had time to think, “Where the heck is the water?” and then when I finally plunged, I struggled to get back to the surface. So by this time I’m panting really hard and for some reason, when I tried to swim, I was just staying in place. The panic crept in so I finally admitted that I might not make it to the edge of the pool and finally gave a quiet, “help” and of course everybody heard because there’s a whole line of people just waiting for their turn to climb. Two guys jumped in, threw a floaty thing, and hauled me out of there (thanks, if you’re reading this!). One of the people who worked at the Olympic Park was like, “Heyyyyy so…do you know how to swim?” And I gave a sheepish, “Kind of?” The guy who pulled me out of the water piped in, “It’s no big deal. I can just pull her out whenever she’s done climbing” (which I thought was a really generous offer!), but the Olympic Park guy said “Um, no.” Another worker came by and I thought he was going to kick me out, but instead he offered me a life vest! I was super grateful and he was totally understanding, saying, “I get it, you know. You’re a climber, not a swimmer.” That was awesome of him to let me keep climbing with a life vest! All in all, I had tons of fun, despite the drowning part. 10/10 would do again next year. Except maybe I’ll take a few swimming lessons beforehand.” So Jude came running back over and jumped back in line with her floatation vest and a smile, always making the best of the situation.

I had to poke a little funPC: Tim Gildea

We took turns climbing and snapping pictures. But like most times I climb with others, I’m still on the wall when they’re putting away their shoes. The group was more than happy to hang out and watch as I got my fill. After all, if we had left early, I wouldn’t have been able to send the Dyno problem.

DYNO!!PC: Tim Gildea

I highly recommend getting up to Park City this weekend (it’s the last weekend it’s open) and getting on the wall. It’s the most fun I’ve EVER had on plastic… Also, be sure to check out the Psicobloc competition next summer. You will not be disappointed.

Water inhalationPC: Jude Engracia

Share this:

Like this:

In my youth, I had a pair of 5Ten Razors, they were my favorite shoes for edging. And though I really loved those 5Ten’s, I somehow started climbing in a competing brand. And didn’t own another pair of 5Ten’s until I was asked if I would be interested in reviewing some of the new Rogue’s. I’m relatively new to doing gear reviews, but I jumped at the chance to review a product in relation to the sport I so love.

Me sending Kelly’s Arete’ v5 in Joes Valley

Now I would be lying if I told you i didn’t have some false pretenses about the shoes I was about to review. They looked like solid shoes, but seemed like the style lead more towards crack climbing. And anyone who knows me, knows I’m a sport climber/boulderer. I was hoping for a SUPER aggressive shoe, something with a down turned toe and a love bump. Something I could get on steep sport routes with. Honestly, I couldn’t have been more wrong. So much, that I have only climbed in one other pair of climbing shoes (another brand I am reviewing) since receiving the Rogues. That statement goes for gym and rock.

I have literally fallen in love with these 5Ten’s. This company has always made some high quality products, and I’m not sure why I never gave them another chances? I guess because I found something I liked, and if it’s not broken, why fix it? But guess what? I’m ready to make the switch back. 5Ten has completely won me over.

Classic problem The Angler v2

I would recommend these shoes to any new climber looking to get into the sport, and to seasoned climbers as well. At a mere $100 retail, how can you go wrong. Great for gym climbing, especially if you don’t want to destroy the rubber on your $170 pair of super aggressive shoes. They come in a Lace up and Velcro (my favorite). And 3 separate colors, green (lace), blue and purple (women’s) are Velcro. As I mentioned before, probably a great shoe for crack climbing. They worked well for me on a few crack boulder problems in Joes Valley. But that’s not really my thing, so further testing might be needed to confirm that. I did however send Kelly’s Arête (v5) while wearing the Rogues. And quite a few technical v4 problems. They’ve done me well also in the sport world, though I haven’t gotten out on rope as much as if like.In the gym, they are fantastic. Super comfortable, easy to put on and remove… AHHH Velcro rules! They say that this shoe is form-fitting, and I concur. Sizing is mostly accurate, though I would recommend a half-size smaller than normal for you, they do stretch quite a bit. With Stealth rubber (I’m a believer it’s the stickiest) you can smear anywhere, and the edging ability is superb. These shoes are very similar to the Anasazi’s. I don’t usually give a star rating, but if I were to rate the Rogues, 4.5 stars out of 5. I will get another pair of these awesome shoes when mine wear out.

COMFORT!!

The Good: The price $100 – cheap for climbing shoes. Super comfortable, easy to get on/off. And the rubber is super soft and sticky.

Smurf Feet

The Bad: Only one thing… After inning in my Rogues for nearly 6 months, they still dye me feet blue when I sweat in them. It actually looks like some cool weird tattoo.

Overall: The Rogues are an awesome new climbing shoe. Everything you want when getting into this sport. No one wants to waste $150 on shoes and maybe not even stick with the sport. Great for beginners, and crushers. And all around awesome shoe. Perfect for the gym, but good on the rock.

I am not currently an ambassador for 5Ten. I was asked to review these shoes as an independent blogger. I received this product for free, in return I agreed to test it and review it. In no way did this offer influence my review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone